Crazy Easy Corn Fritter Recipe Alysha Stevens
As parents we are always trying to find ways to get our little ones to eat more veggies aren't we?! It can feel like a constant battle. There is lots of ways (which I step parents through in my Nourishing Children-Coaching Package) that we can effectively support our kids in trying and learning to like a wider variety of nutritious foods...including veggies. One strategy is to continue serving them up and exposing kids to a good variety of foods. This includes serving up veggies in different and interesting (and delicious) ways! A pile of steamed vegetables on the side of the plate every, single, night wouldn't be appealing to kids who are still learning to appreciate and like foods, so you can understand why you would likely lose the battle of getting kids to eat them each night. A secret weapon you can use to win the battle (maybe not every time...but more often) is to have some simple, nutritious and delicious arsenal up your sleeve in the form of new vegetable recipes! These Corn Fritters are super simple and nutritious recipe you can easily whip-up for your kids and keep in your arsenal to help win the vegetable battles. They’re quick, easy and very versatile! 🥦 I often add in some grated broccoli, thinly sliced spring onion or green peas too! But, if your little one is a bit fussy, you can keep them quite plain (without green bits) at first, then when they’ve accepted and like the fritters (which may take a few exposures) you can add the new ingredient. It is always important to still expose your kids to some green veggies each day, so if they're not in the fritters, add them on the side....but then add into the fritters down the track. to mix things up. You could also use wholemeal flour in these if you wish or rice or any gluten-free alternative you wish! (I havn't experimented with every flour, so jiggle the amount around to find the best consistency). We love these as part of our dinner or lunch or even on their own as a snack!! And they’ve even been a hit in the kids’ lunchboxes (cold) too! I know families who like sour cream then smoked salmon on top! Some parents I've worked with have cooked them as a huge fritter and cut it up in slices like a pizza, some have done super small bite sized blobs...so go crazy with your creativity to keep it interesting for kids! Give them a go, get your kids helping and let me know if they approve! Alysha
0 Comments
Structured meal and snack times for fussy eatersScheduling regular times for eating opportunities (meals and snacks) for your little one, usually after about 14-16 months of age, can make a world of difference when feeding a fussy eater. .Parents play a fundamental role in setting up the environment at children’s mealtimes which influence their early interactions, learning and experiences with food. Creating a positive mealtime environment goes a long way to setting children up with a good foundation of eating patterns, intuitive eating skills and a positive relationship with food, which sets them up to thrive both physically and mentally throughout childhood and into adulthood! Positive mealtimes, and therefore children’s eating patterns and behaviours cannot be optimised without a regular structure to their eating times. The Benefits of Having a Meal & Snack Time Structure for Children who are fussy.Creates predictability and securityThere has been a lot of research on children benefiting from routine. Routines create predictability and help children to feel secure in their day. Having a feeding schedule builds upon this daily structure. If children know what to expect when it comes to eating and when to expect meals and snacks they will feel more secure and relaxed about food which and in-turn improves their eating behaviours! Helps children connect wth hunger and fulness cues and reduces non-hungry eatingOne of your important roles when it comes to feeding your child, is deciding WHEN children eat. Without structured eating times, and when food is freely available between meals, children can learn to disconnect from feelings of true hunger and fullness and start saying ‘I'm hungry’ and want to eat when they are feeling bored, overwhelmed, when watching TV or doing homework etc. Eating can become associated with feelings and activities instead of hunger and enjoyment. Structure with eating helps children to learn how to effectively manage their hunger and self-regulate intake, develop self-control and avoid the dangers of mindless eating or eating in the absence of hunger. Allows children to develop a healthy appetiteA lack of structure with eating opportunities can also lead to children coming to the table with an appetite level not conducive for eating well. For children to be most willing to try new foods, or eat the amount that is right for them and build intuitive eating skills (ie eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full), they need to turn-up to the meal or snack with a healthy appetite. But without structure, they will often come to the table without much appetite at all as a result of snacking at the wrong times between meals. Or, you may also lose track of the time since kids have last eaten and run the risk of them becoming too hungry or ‘h-angry'! This increases the likelihood they will misbehave, be contrary, complain or whine about the food or have a meltdown as they will be less in control of their emotions. This almost never results in eating well or developing positive eating patterns. When too hungry, they are unlikely to try new foods, they may not eat at all (stress can diminish appetite) or they may overeat as they will be unable to easily notice and stop when they're feeling full. A healthy appetite at mealtimes will support their willingness to try new foods and help to prevent the associated negative behaviour and poor eating that comes with becoming too hungry. What to consider when setting structured eating times for your little onesThere are several important considerations to make when setting the times for your little-one’s eating times, the most important being your child's age. While babies and toddlers typically need to eat every 2-3 hours (5-6 times per day – 3 meals and 2-3 snacks), older kids do well with 3-4 hour gaps between meals and snacks (4-5 times per day- 3 meals and 2 snacks).
In order for consistency, it is also important to consider the eating times of school, kindergarten or childcare if your child attends. As the eating times at school etc is regular and not modifiable, it is recommended to continue with these times on the days your child is home also. An example : For a 7 year old attending school where eating times are 1100 & 1330, the home meal schedule could be: Breakfast-730am (for younger children, you may add in a snack around 930) Snack-1100 Lunch-1330 Snack-1600 Dinner 1815. Every child is very different, and there is no hard and fast rule for exactly how many eating occasions your child should have. So it's important to evaluate your own child and see what works best for you and for them. Consistency is key though. How to get started There are other important considerations to make, all of which I cover and guide my clients through making as part of my 1:1 Fussy Eating Support Program and online course. After setting your family’s meal and snack time structure, it is important to let your child know that there will be some changes and that there will not be any eating in between set meal and snack times from now on. Having a solid mealtime structure is a powerful strategy for improving eating behaviour, but sometimes it means you have to say no to food requests. You could have your family’s mealtime structure up somewhere within their sight such as on the fridge or in the pantry so that when they ask for food between meals, you can gently remind them when the next eating occasion will be, and show them your structured mealtimes up on the fridge. My '3-Step Response to Food Requests' is a responsive way to remind your children of the set mealtimes. Following these steps will help to maintain consistency and keep your feeding-style in-line with the most optimal Diplomatic feeding-style. Good luck with setting and being consistent with meal and snack times for your family. Alysha Success is the residue of planning - Benjamin Franklin Meal planning is asking "Whats for dinner" only once for the week (or fortnight) instead of every single day! It is simply planning what meals your family will be having for the week or two ahead. It is taking steps to be organised, prepared and time efficient in the kitchen. It is also having a ready answer for the imminent 5pm question from the kids of "What's for dinner?". But most importantly, meal planning takes away the mental load of deciding what to make for dinner every evening. How many times have you opened the fridge door and felt frustrated when considering what’s for dinner? Who gets tired of running out of ideas to cook every, single, night? How often have you gone to cook something only to realise you are missing one ingredient? Oh, and how often have you had to resort to a less nutritious quick option for dinner because you've ran out of time to cook and haven't prepared anything, cant be bothered thinking of something or you simply don't have anything in the fridge to cook? Do you ever wonder if you could take away some of the frustration and burden of preparing meals for your family? Well, by having it planned and all ingredients already purchased in a meal-planning-organised-shopping kind of way, your evenings will run much smoother and with much less stress! Having a plan for nutritious meals increases the likelihood of you including a wide variety of nutritious foods in your family's diet and reduces the reliance on convenience and take-away meals. If you have had a long and tiring day or have got home late from work and don't feel much like cooking, you are more likely to have the planned home cooked nutritious meal if you have planned for it and shopped for the ingredients and especially if you have already done some preparation for it. Do you ever wonder if you would eat more balanced meals over the week if you were a little more organised with meal planning? Chances are you would because research has shown that people who plan their meals are more likely to have a better dietary quality, higher adherence with nutritional guidelines and better food variety. Amidst our usual hectic schedules, meal planning is a great tool to help keep us on a healthy eating track, and what better time to start than while in Covid-19 lock-down!? One of the biggest advantages to meal planning is the time it saves busy families. With planned meals and organised shopping lists, there is no need for mid-week quick trips to the supermarket, or spending hours trying to decide what to cook for dinner each night! And hey, you can save even more time by cooking in batches, pre-preparing elements of the upcoming meals or re-using your meal plans! To do this, you need a plan! Here are my top 4 tips for being successful with meal planning. Plan the meals you will be cooking 1-2 weeks ahead
Be a smart shopper
Try themed nights
Have a Master Meals List
So with the benefits of meal planning for busy families...or anyone...it is very worthwhile giving it a go! If you would like some more individualised guidance with meal planning for your family, I would love to help, get in touch. Alysha |